Practise voting - Senate

Updated: 15 March 2019

Practise voting Senate

Further information

Group voting tickets have been abolished. However, parties and candidates will still be able to form groups and have a group box above the line. If a voter preferences a group above the line the vote is counted as if the candidates appearing below the line in that group were preferenced in the order in which they appear on the ballot paper.

Political parties may also register a party logo that can be printed on the ballot paper to assist voters in ensuring they are voter for the party of their choice.

‘Composite’ groups may be formed by more than one registered party. A maximum of 2 logos can be printed adjacent to the relevant group box above the line on the ballot paper along with the composite name of those parties under the group box. The composite name can also appear at the head of the column below the line, with the relevant party names appearing under the names of the individual candidates.

Unendorsed candidates (ie. candidates not endorsed by a registered political party) may form a group in order to have a group box above the line. These candidates may not have the word ‘independent’ printed adjacent to their name on the ballot paper.

Ungrouped candidates are individual candidates who are not part of a group and as such may request that the word ‘independent’ appears adjacent to their name on the ballot paper.

This practise voting tool is designed to help you cast a formal Senate vote. The tool depicts a sample ballot paper only. The number and name of parties and Senate candidates for the federal election will be declared by the AEC during the election period at a public declaration of nominations.

Instructions

Select numbers using the drop down fields contained within the boxes on the sample ballot paper below. When you believe you have completed a formal vote, click the 'check my ballot paper' button at the bottom of the ballot paper. To cast a formal Senate vote, you can choose to vote either above the line or below the line.

Above the line

Number at least 6 boxes for parties or groups in the order of your choice (with number 1 as your first choice).

Below the line

Number at least 12 boxes for individual candidates in the order of your choice (with number 1 as your first choice).

You can number as many additional boxes as you choose when voting either above the line (i.e. more than six boxes) or below the line (i.e. more than twelve boxes).

Senate Ballot PaperState – Election of 6 Senators

You mayvote in one oftwo ways

Either:

Above the line

By numbering at least 6of these boxes in the orderof your choice (with number1 as your first choice)

A

Candidate A

MIST PARTY

B

Candidate B

RAIN PARTY

C

Candidate C

FOG/SUN PARTY

D

Candidate D

HUMID PARTY

E

Candidate E

BREEZE PARTY

F

Candidate F

CLOUD PARTY

G

Candidate G

Or:

Below the line

By numbering at least 12of these boxes in the orderof your choice (with number1 as your first choice).